When the couple wed in 2003, Chip flew by the seat of his pants — literally. "I remember when we first got married the only money we had was what was in Chip's pocket," Joanna recalls in this week's issue of People. "He always had a wad of cash, but we were broke. If I needed to go grocery shopping it's whatever was in his pocket. That's how we paid the bills."

A photo posted by Joanna Stevens Gaines (@joannagaines) on May 31, 2015 at 11:22am PDT

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Chip started flipping houses in college, so he needed to convince his wife to take on the risky venture. "Once I caught onto the concept of buying something that is undervalued to then put value into it and sell it for a profit, I was hooked, too," she previously told HGTV. Joanna's parents, however, weren't so keen on the idea.

"Her dad spent the first two years of our marriage asking me if I was going to get a job," Chip told People. "I was like, 'I have a job and I like it.'" While taking an in-law's criticism can be tough, it's a good thing he stuck with his gut. The duo's net worth is now valued at about $1.5 million.

A photo posted by Joanna Stevens Gaines (@joannagaines) on May 31, 2014 at 7:08am PDT

Although Chip and Joanna can now afford enough oversized clocks and farmhouse sinks to last a lifetime, they've stayed humble about their success. More importantly, they're focused on always putting their family first. "This has really been something else," Chip says in the exclusive interview, "But if it ever compromised our ability to be a healthy married couple or our kids started to get a little bit off track, we would quit this thing in a heartbeat."

To learn more about Chip and Joanna's sudden rise to fame, pick up this week's issue of People, on newsstands Friday.